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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — happy
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stock — shares
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — for sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — a trace
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. court — of a king
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com